He also. For example, if a player has a DBPM of one, he would allow one less point per game. O Kobe got some steals but he was hardly an all-timer at stealing the ball. P 2 Very impressive defensive resume from Kawhi. He was the game's most versatile defender ever thanks to his excellent man-to-man defensive skills, ability to box out everyone and put players on their worst shooting nights. Dumars possessed excellent footwork, had nice basketball instincts, skills and determination to defend with a style like few have in this league. All of this helps explain why Jordans Bulls finished in the top five in offensive efficiency every season from 1989-90 to 1996-97, except for the two Jordan spent playing baseball.5 When your best player is taking on a historic share of team possessions while also averaging nearly 1.2 points on each of those possessions, youre going to have a historically great offense. Blocked shots and steals were first officially recorded in the NBA during the 197374 season. Over his career, he averaged 30.2 pace-adjusted4 points per 36 minutes, easily the most of any qualified player since 1977. + at R The three-point shot entered the league in 197980 season. c Duncan is the epitome of defensive excellence. That made Jordan one of the better playmakers in the NBA, even as he simultaneously led the league in scoring 10 times during the 11 seasons he played between 1986-87 and 1997-98. t Hakeem, like Duncan, was an incredible NBA rim protector but struggled to defend on the perimeter. F He was indeed in the top class of lockdown defenders, who often forced scorers into bad days. G The other adjustment the Hornets made was to position sharpshooters Glen Rice and Dell Curry on the same side of the floor offensively, so Pippen and Jordan would skew to that side to guard them. In his career, Pippen's defensive rating is at 101.4, which is still lower than the defensive rating of Gary Payton (105.6) but greater than Dikembe . Behind Smart, the Celtics led the NBA in defensive rating (106.2) and points allowed per game (104.5) and held opponents to the lowest field goal percentage (43.4) and three-point field goal . Jordan relentlessly tracked guards Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars, pickpocketing them in the backcourt or springing out of his low defensive stance with catlike quickness to flood their passing lanes. F ( + Although this isnt an absolute, Garnett has ranked the highest when it comes to some of the most significant NBA defensive measurements. Michael Jordan. Garnetts trophy case gets a slight edge over Duncans. An unknown player for the youth generations of basketball, Sidney Moncrief was one of the most complete players during the 80's, who also marked that era of competitive NBA hoops with his phenomenal defense. Michael Jordan shows off his instincts as he helps on defense and rejects Patrick Ewing's shot out of bounds. It was a textbook example of how Jordan used mental lapses by other players even Hall of Famers! Jordan boasts an impressive defensive resume - Sportscasting Michael Jordan - Pro-Football-Reference.com P F Jones was a tenacious and versatile defender who hustled, worked hard, was aggressive on his man and had offensive skills too. Become a Stathead Per Game Bold indicates league leader T ) ) A F During the summer of 1984, Nike shoe designer Peter Moore and Strasser gathered in the Washington, D.C., office of Jordan's agent, David Falk.. t Its something of a loaded question, the kind of which has launched a million RealGM forum debates. n A missed field goal, though, costs a team 0.72 points. + R K Everyone remembers the drive, pull-up and arguable push-off as Jordan freed himself from Bryon Russell and drained the championship clinching jumper. F Very few could be argued as better stoppers on their man. Most guys couldn't or didn't want to absorb the contact. ", Monday through Friday, host Pablo Torre brings you an inside look at the most interesting stories at ESPN, as told by the top reporters and insiders on the planet. And he still managed to get to the line roughly once out of every three shots he took from the field, making 84 percent of his free throws. The documentary should serve as a refresher for those of us old enough to have watched Jordan at the time and an introductory course for those who never had the privilege. After sweeping the New Jersey Nets in the opening round of the 1998 playoffs, the Bulls beat Charlotte in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, but Hornets coach Dave Cowens made an adjustment. That's a thing very few have excelled at. t R T ] Michael Jordan Defense Rating By Year | StatMuse "We played golf the next day, too, and I asked him, 'Why were you playing so hard in an exhibition game?' E . O In that series, Detroit averaged just 0.79 points per play with Jordan as the primary defender, and shot just 35%, according to research by ESPN Stats & Information. A The other thing that people told him was that he wasnt really a good defensive player, Jackson said. ( o P P Jordan ranks 18th on the all-time leaderboard for steal percentage, a testament to the quickness of his famously huge hands (which probably played a key role in his low turnover percentage as well). Take, for example, the sequence that set up his iconic final shot as a Bull against the Utah Jazz in the 1998 NBA Finals. He was a versatile defender, as he was often called up to guard players from multiple positions. Read up on Michael Jordan's biography, career, awards and more on ESPN. T ) The defensive box plus minus is a statistic that shows you how much better the player is than the average NBA player on the defensive end. For example, runs batted in is highly dependent upon opportunities created by a player's teammates. ( Jordan's defensive acumen was apparent in real time; he was selected first team All-Defense on nine occasions, tied with Gary Payton, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant for most ever. G He knew everyone's game and that helped a lot, which made him even stronger in one-on-one matchups, as he was called to guard the opponent's best big men and forced them into their worst nights. During the 1990s and 2000s numerous rule changes were incorporated, the "three point foul" and "clear path" rules were both introduced in the 199596 season with the effect of increasing the number of free throws, hand-checking (the amount of contact a defender may make with an opposing player) was banned in 1994 and the use of elbows was banned in 1997 (both rules had seen various degrees of limitation by earlier rule changes) although neither was fully implemented until 2004. B A A Michael Jordan Defensive Rating Career | StatMuse This defensive ability vaulted players into greatness, or even to an elite Hall of Fame level. Known as "The Glove," Payton got that nickname after playing superb defense on Suns PG Kevin Johnson. "I liken it to a five-speed car. E The 2004 rule changes, which also included calling the defensive 3 second rule ("[] a defensive player may not station himself in the key area longer than three seconds"a longstanding rule which had been ignored by referees) had a major effect, opening up the game and allowing a more free-flowing offense; it encouraged aggressive inside attack based plays (to draw fouls), and has increased the number of fouls given when contact is made on players who drive to the basket. Jordan was the engine that powered the offensive success of the Bulls dynasty. Awards R m 2023 NFL Draft grades: Why Raiders trading up to take Michael Mayer at O . He was selected to play in 14 All-Star games. G r It's funny, [Larry] Bird and Magic [Johnson], neither of them was a super athlete, so we gave them all this credit for their brains. It was unbearable.". r S To score under 100 career long is extremely impressive. [ Because those are the little differences between winning and losing.". And with apologies to the Human Highlight Film, Jordan was asked to do a lot more on offense for the Bulls than Wilkins was for the Hawks. Michael Jordan Defensive Ratings By Year | StatMuse In a scene authors Rodrigo Corral, Alex French and Howie Kahn detail in their 2017 book, "Sneakers," Falk, after exchanging pleasantries, looked to Strasser and said, "Rob, I've got an idea.I want to marry Michael to your airbag technology." To end up with a league-average PER of 15.00, the actual break-even mark in this case is 48.5%, which is exactly what the league average is on 2-point shots this season. R The Bulls put Pippen on Jackson to prevent him from posting up. Bear in mind that this rating is not the final, once-and-for-all answer for a player's accomplishments during the season. P It is also adjusted for the team's pace. g g What team had the best over/under record last year? F Of course, theres also been a lot of mythology built up around MJ over the past three decades, and The Last Dance is sure to add to it even as the movies director, Jason Hehir, says he took steps to humanize Jordan. Compare player statistics for: Michael Jordan career vs. LeBron James career. F Defensive impact can be measured by the players versatility on the floor, and the different ways that they effect the game. O P "Their defense," Pacers coach Larry Bird said in the immediate aftermath of the loss, "is relentless.". f Active players are listed in bold In many ways, the 1987-88 season from Michael Jordan might be the greatest individual season ever, and averaging 35.0 PPG while winning the Defensive Player of the Year award is a major part of . With MJ joining forces with fellow shutdown defenders Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Ron Harper during the second Bulls three-peat, Chicago led the NBA in defensive efficiency in 1996 and finished no worse than fourth in 97 or 98, making that incarnation of the Bulls an even more complete team than the version that went back-to-back-to-back in 1991, 92 and 93.6. > Career Player Efficiency Rating. "I'm pretty sure he made that adjustment himself. His length allowed him to contest shots on the outside, but a lack of speed deterred him from being an effective perimeter defender. He was also an elite perimeter defender with a RAPTOR plus/minus of +2.2, which ranks fourth among players that Basketball-Reference lists as guards or guard-forwards since 1976-77: Best RAPTOR defensive plus/minus ratings for NBA guards* with at least 15,000 minutes played since 1976-77, including regular season and playoffs. Only 31 times has a player posted a season efficiency rating over 30.0 (with more than 15 games played in that season), with the highest score being 32.85 (Nikola Joki).Michael Jordan and LeBron James lead with four 30+ seasons, with Shaquille O'Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Joki and Joel Embiid having accomplished three each, Anthony Davis having accomplished two . t All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. He established himself as one of the best defensive guards in NBA history because of his bulk and rocket-launcher legs, which helped him frequently win battles against players nearly a foot taller. l JORDAN DIDN'T MAKE his first All-Defense team until the 1987-88 season, his fourth year in the league. Alexander Hassenstein / Bongarts / Getty Images, Apr. i It's an unforgettable image, but what people often fail to remember is how the Bulls first got possession. He wasn't the strongest, tallest or quickest, but he was a skilled and productive defender. Pippen was an absolute menace on the defensive end and is the first ever true 3 & D player. Honorable Mentions: Bill Russell, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Gary Payton. If you had the opportunity to make your ideal NBA defender, it would probably look like Scottie Pippen. l 2 Kobe Bryant vs Michael Jordan: Who is Better? - Sports Articles That's right. ) This wasnt quite true back in October, but Chris Paul played below his career average this season, dropping his lifetime rating slightly below Jordans. But MJ has the stats on his side: He remains the NBAs all-time career leader in Win Shares per 48 minutes and Player Efficiency Rating, both of which can be computed going back to 1951-52. "I get to the game," Ainge says, "and I'm beat. m t [ Hakeem Olajuwon possessed a rare combination of quickness and strength with unique skills for a seven-footer. L a B Michael's saying, 'I'm going to lock you up,' but we countered with, 'It's not just you and Reggie. Kawhi has also scored under 100 five times in nine seasons. The guy's attention to detail was impeccable. His recovery skills were exceptional. Prior to the 201314 season, LeBron James was on the verge of surpassing Michael Jordan's career PER to take the number one spot. 1988. [ He locked down dozens of great scorers thanks to his hard work and skills. No one ever, as an individual defensive stopper, did a better job guarding Michael. Get viral NBA graphics, memes, rumors and trending news delivered right to your inbox with the Clutch Newsletter. R Green Bay Packers NFL draft picks 2023 selection analysis - ESPN R That is fantastic. F Per Game Per 48 Min Totals Advanced Add Info Stat Key g L Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. + V P + Michael Jordan and the Greatest Lockdown, Man-To-Man Defenders in NBA P Dave DeBusschere, Walt Frazier, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Willis Reed, Michael Cooper and so on. a Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. R Nine of them were All-First Team selections. "Reggie had great respect for Michael, but he wasn't afraid. Over the years there have been plenty of premier defenders in the NBA who have worn the label of best defender in the NBA. Grading Every Team's Performance in the 2023 NFL Draft B Round 7, Pick 224: DeMarcco Hellams, S, Alabama. ] Kobe Bryant vs Michael Jordan - Difference and Comparison | Diffen + The lower your defensive rating is, the better. = Michael Jordan and Gary Payton both won defensive player of the year in their career, and were defensive anchors for their respective teams. T Chicago's opponent, the Utah Jazz, led the NBA in offensive efficiency during the regular season (110.9 points per 100 possession), but was held to just 94.3 in those 1998 Finals.